Magnet School Enrollment Standards

Parents or guardians may determine that attendance at a magnet school is in the best interest of their student.  The process and guidelines for entry into a magnet school are governed by this policy and its associated procedures.  Students wishing to attend a non-magnet school located within the District but outside of a student’s Attendance Zone (defined below) must follow the process outlined in Board Policy 3010 – Open Enrollment.

Students will be enrolled in magnet schools via an initial application, selection in the lottery (see Board Procedure 3012P), and subsequent Confirmation of Enrollment.  The Board will determine which lottery process will apply at any given magnet school.  With respect to all magnet lottery systems, the Board desires that priority be granted to applicants in the following situations:

1. The applicant’s parent or guardian is employed as a staff member at the magnet school;
2. The applicant has a sibling currently attending the magnet school and resides within the District’s boundaries; and
3. The applicant resides within the Magnet Priority Zone if a Magnet Priority Zone exists for that magnet school.

Enrollment decisions at magnet schools may also consider such factors as socioeconomic demographics, capacity issues at other District schools, impacts to neighboring schools, and other relevant factors.  Factors considered will be set forth in the corresponding Board Procedure for the particular magnet school and may be modified by the Board from time to time.  An application to a magnet school may be denied in a situation where enrollment would result in a hardship, including without limitation, lack of space and/or staff in a particular magnet school, grade level or class; availability of programs and services; and other relevant factors. 

Once a student has been accepted for enrollment in a magnet school, subject to situations of hardship, the student will be allowed to re-enroll annually by applying for a Confirmation of Enrollment and will not be subject to the lottery process again so long as:

1. The student timely completes the annual Confirmation of Enrollment; and
2. The student’s original application materials remain accurate.
3. If a student moves outside of an applicable Magnet Priority Zone but still lives within the District’s boundaries, the student will not be subject to the lottery process and will only be required to timely complete the Confirmation of Enrollment;
4. If a student moves outside of the District’s boundaries, the student must reapply and will be subject to the magnet school lottery process.

Consistent with these Board standards, the Superintendent will establish magnet school application processes and standards, waitlist priorities, and related procedures. 

The Board reserves the right to modify these standards, to create new lottery methods, and to apply different lottery procedures to different magnet schools, at any time.

Definitions

Attendance Zone. An attendance zone is an area within the District boundary within which a single elementary school, middle school or high school exists.  A student identifies their “home” school by locating their primary residence on the attendance zone map and identifying the corresponding school within that attendance zone.  The Board of Trustees establishes Attendance Zones.  The District’s magnet schools do not have corresponding Attendance Zones. 

Magnet Priority Zone. A Magnet Priority Zone is an area within the District boundary that overlaps existing Attendance Zones.  Each magnet school may be assigned a Magnet Priority Zone.  A student residing within a Magnet Priority Zone would still use the corresponding Attendance Zone school as his or her “home” school for enrollment, but would also have certain priority rights if he/she chose to apply to the magnet school also located within the Magnet Priority Zone. See Board Policy 9810 for information on creation of Magnet Priority Zones.

Cross Reference:        

3010    Open Enrollment

9810    Creating/Maintaining Magnet Schools

Legal References:      

I.C. § 33-1402-1404   Enrollment Options

Policy History:

Adopted on: 11/2/20

Revised on:

Reviewed on: